President Ramaphosa sends message of support to British PM Boris Johnson

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to announce a state of emergency on Tuesday for the capital Tokyo and six other prefectures to stem a worrying rise in coronavirus infections in major population centres.

Mainland China reported on Tuesday a decline in imported coronavirus cases, after closing its borders to virtually all foreigners, while increasing vigilance on infected people who show no symptoms but can still pass on the virus.

President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was saddened to hear that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been moved to an intensive care unit after his coronavirus symptoms worsened and that Americans were praying for his recovery.

European nations including hard-hit Italy and Spain have started looking ahead to easing coronavirus lockdowns after steady falls in fatality rates, as the United States prepared on Monday for what one official called "peak death week".

The global lockdown as a result of the deadly coronavirus has meant that thousands of South Africans remain stranded in countries around the world.

The United Nations Secretary General has called on governments everywhere to make prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in hospital in London for tests on Monday suffering persistent coronavirus symptoms 10 days after testing positive for the virus, but Downing Street said he remained in charge of the government.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to hospital for tests on Sunday in what Downing Street said was a “precautionary step” because he was showing persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus.

About 45 South African citizens are expected to be repatriated from Brazil on Wednesday.

More than 130 people were newly infected with the novel coronavirus in Tokyo, Japan's NHK public broadcaster reported on Sunday, citing officials from the metropolitan government.

President Donald Trump told Americans to brace for a big spike in coronavirus fatalities in the coming days, as the country faces what he called the toughest two weeks of the pandemic.

China on Saturday mourned the thousands of “martyrs” who have died in the coronavirus outbreak, flying the national flag at half mast across the country and suspending all forms of entertainment.

Austria's daily growth of COVID-19 infections has decreased to a single digit percentage range from 40% three weeks ago as restrictions on people's movement and the closure of schools and shops took effect, the Health Ministry said.

Central Moscow was deserted on Saturday on the first weekend after Russian President Vladimir Putin extended a national holiday in Russia until April 30.

Britain is unlikely to lift its stringent lockdown rules until the end of May, a leading government adviser said on Saturday, warning that the spread of coronavirus must first slow and intense testing be introduced.

South Korea said on Saturday it will extend its intensive social distancing campaign scheduled to end on Monday by two weeks in a bid to curb the rate of coronavirus infections to around 50 a day.

China declared Saturday a day of mourning for the thousands of "martyrs" who have died in the new coronavirus outbreak, flying the national flag at half mast throughout the country and suspending all forms of entertainment.

The US government is now recommending Americans wear cloth face coverings on a voluntary basis to stem the spread of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump said on Friday, adding that he himself would not use one.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the global economy to a standstill and plunged the world into a recession that will be "way worse" than the global financial crisis a decade ago, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Friday, calling it "humanity's darkest hour."

With the coronavirus contagion spreading, the White House said on Friday that anyone expected to be near President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence will be given a rapid COVID-19 test out of an abundance of caution.

New York state has recorded more than 500 coronavirus-related deaths in a single day, bringing the statewide total to nearly 3 000, or about the same number killed in the 11 September 2001 attacks, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday.

The Japanese government said on Friday it has told regions that have suffered the most serious outbreaks of coronavirus to save hospitals beds for severely ill patients, while keeping others with milder or no symptoms at home or in hotels.

Mainland China reported 31 new confirmed coronavirus cases, including two locally transmitted infections, the country’s National Health Commission said on Friday.

The Trump administration on Thursday looked set to join local officials in advising Americans to wear masks when venturing out during the still-exploding coronavirus pandemic, as the US death toll rose by 1000 in a single day for the first time.

The top official in Wuhan,the epicentre of the coronavirus epidemic in China, warned residents to strengthen self-protection measures and avoid going out as Beijing preaches vigilance to avoid a resurgence of infections.

President Donald Trump on Thursday was tested again to determine whether he had been infected by the coronavirus, and the test came back negative, the White House said.

Governments in the Middle East need to act fast to limit the spread of the coronavirus after cases rose to nearly 60 000, almost double their level a week earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Global coronavirus cases topped 1 million on Thursday as the pandemic explodes in the United States and the death toll continues to climb in Italy and Spain, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The head of the European Commission apologised to Italy on Thursday for a lack of solidarity from Europe in tackling its coronavirus crisis, but promised greater help in dealing with the economic fallout.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has warned violators of coronavirus lockdown measures they could be shot for causing trouble and said abuse of medical workers was a serious crime that would not be tolerated.